Clay's Death
by LetsReWriteTheHappyEnding
Summary: Tony didn't get Clay to come off the cliff when he listened to his tape. Instead after a fight to get Clay away from the edge a tragic accident happened.
1. Clay Couldn't Handle It

Clay sat in the car listing to his tape holding back his tears. He couldn't handle it, it had all started with him. Because of him leaving Hannah see saw Bryce rape Jessica and then left with Sherri causing the stop sign to fall, which led to Jeff's death. And it was all because he was to afraid to comfort Hannah.

Tony sat on the fence over looking the city as he let Clay listen to his tape. He wasn't this way with the others as they listened to theirs; yes he followed them to make sure they did listen to it but Clay was different. He knew from the first time he listen to his tape, hell he knew before that. He remembered sitting in the library watching as Clay tried to hid the Dollar Valentine's survey from Jeff.

It didn't work of course and he couldn't help as the ghost of a smile made its way on his face when he remembered the way Clay's face went red as he tried to explain what it was when Jeff found it. But he had always wondered what would have happened if Jeff never changed his answers. Maybe him and Hannah would have matched and none pf this would have happened.

And even though Tony likes guys he knew that they both had liked each other. Hell him and Jeff both had bets on who would make the first move. He had $20 on Hannah, and Jeff had $20 on Clay, and know that he likes of it he owns Jeff $20 before Clay was the one who made the first move.

"You knew." Clay says walking up the hill to Tony. "You knew all along."

"Knew what?" Tony asks.

This is what he was afraid of. Clay's reaction to his tape. Clay's name had no business on the tape-in his opinion. Clay had tired to befriend Hannah and had loved her.

 _Loved._

Hell Tony knew better. He still loves her.

"That all of this is my fault." Clay says.

"How did I know that?" Tony says trying to remain calm.

"I-I just left Hannah. I just left her there." Clay starts. "She needed me and I walked away."

"You were doing what she told you to do." Tony says trying to calm him down now.

"No, I ran!" Clay couldn't think straight. "I was scared! I thought it was something I had done or something I didn't understand, because I'm this fucking loser who doesn't know anything about girls or about life or anything."

"So all of this is your fault?" He was trying-hoping-that Clay would come to his sense.

"I left! I knew I shouldn't have left! And then Bryce rapped Jessica." Clay screamed as though he was yelling at himself.

"Whoa." Tony was starting to get frighted, Clay wouldn't calm down.

"Hannah saw it! And Sherri knocked down the stop sign, then Jeff died, and it all started with me!" Clay couldn't handle it. It all had started with him.

The butterfly effect Hannah had mentioned early in the tapes crossed his mind for a moment and he felt himself grow to hate it. He was the stupid butterfly that had flapped his wings leaving the room and had caused a whole storm to open up over Hannah.

"Clay." Tony said helpless as Clay walked to the edge of a ledge. _Why the fuck wasn't there a fence there?_ He couldn't help but think. "I think you gotta get back from that edge."

This was what he was afraid of. He had already lost a friend because he didn't want to deal with her drama that day, and he regretted that day more then ever. He didn't want to lose Clay to.

"Why?" Clay asked.

It seemed like he couldn't get enough air in that moment. Because being out there made him think of the time him and Hannah sat out on the Cresmont watching the moon. He wanted her. He wanted to go in time and hold her one more time and kiss her.

"Why shouldn't I just jump, just let go?" He wanted to, maybe he could get away then. Everything he knew was falling apart, his mom had taken Hannah's case and he couldn't handle her trying to make Hannah seem like a bad person.

"So you can die? Reunite with Hannah?" Tony voice broke. He couldn't handle it, he knew he would react but not like this.

Maybe he would be like Alex who just sat and cried, or Jessica who drank hot chocolate at Hannah's grave site crying and keep saying "sorry" over and over. Justin had thrown a punch to a tree and finally deleted those photos of her. Tyler who in a fit of rage broke the camera he stalked Hannah with.

"Yes." Came his whisper. "Fuck you, Tony. But yes, if this is what it takes."

"Clay please come back." Tony didn't know what to do. He could imagine what would happen if he jumped.

"Tony, I can't live without her." He finally turned around to face him.

"Yes Clay you can." Tony begged him.

Tony stepped forward to grab him, to pull him to safety. But Clay fought back, putting all of his strength in getting away from Tony. He didn't need this.

But just as Tony had gotten his hand on Clay's wrist to pull him back, Clay yanked his arm back with too much strength and fell of the ledge.


	2. Start Of A New Butterfly Effect

Clay could only feel the wind around as he fell. And for the first time since he found out about Hannah's death he felt free, because there was a chance- that maybe just maybe- he could wake up in heaven with Hannah.

Tony didn't know what to do in that moment. I mean what do you do if your lifelong friend falls off a cliff in front of you? And what makes it worst is that he _wanted to._

"Oh shit," Tony said as he saw Clay's body hit a rock and go limp. "Oh, god please no Clay."

Tony ran to his car and called 911, pleading that Clay would hang on and he would be okay.

And before Clay even had to the time to think a single thought about his parents, the tapes, or anything else, he smiled and let the bright light take over his vision.

 _I had a dream that you were mine_

 _I've had that dream a thousand times_

Tony didn't know what to say as the police pulled a limp Clay up from the bottom of the hill. The police officer who had climb down to pull him up looked up at Tony shaking his head.

Tony couldn't form a thought at the shake of the head from the police officer.

 _I should have know Clay would react like this! Stupid Tony!_

He wanted to cry, it was taking everything for him not to cry as he looked at the smile on Clay's face and as the started to wrap him up in a body bag.

 _A body bag that looked like the one Hannah was placed in not a month ago._

"I'm sorry about your friend," the police officer said with pity in eyes. "But we need to know how to contact the boy's parents and we are going to need you to down to the station tomorrow."

"Yeah okay." Tony whispered.

After he gave them the Jensen's address Tony got in his care and after some thought he came to the conclusion to give answers to the Bakers, answers that might come out tomorrow.

Mrs. and Mr. Jensen sat up at the table. Clay was out late again and they couldn't handle it. Every sense Hannah Baker killed herself he was different.

Mrs. Baker had thought of every reasons that might be and she couldn't help but wondered which one was right.

 _Maybe he was her boyfriend._ But Clay would tell them if he had a girlfriend, right?

 _Maybe he was the bully._ But Clay would never bully someone, he was a sweet boy.

 _Mayb-_

They were cut off from there thoughts as a loud knock from the front door echoed.

"Clay wouldn't knock." Mr. Jensen said standing up and walking over to the door.

Mrs. Jensen followed and looked up to see a police officer at the door with a sad expression on his face.

"Mrs. and Mr. Jensen I'm afraid I have bad news." He spoke taking of his hat. "May I come in?"

"No," started Ms. Jensen. "Please tell me it's not what I think."

Mr. Jensen wrapped his arms around him and looked up at the officer, who wore a look of pity.

"How?" He managed to ask.

"A buddy of his tired to pull him back from the edge of a cliff when he expressed thoughts of jumping." The police officer spoke. "But it didn't end well."

"Tony," Mrs. Baker's weak smile greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"May I come in?" Tony said looking up at her upset. "I had answers for you and your husband."

"Of course come in."

A while later Tony sat down at the table with the Bakers, his phone and Hannah's tapes on it.

"Hannah left a job for me." He started. "She recorded tapes about why she did what she did, and I was the person she wanted to make sure it got around to the people it was suppose to."

"I don't understand." Mrs. Baker said.

 **** **"** **Just listen and you will."**


	3. We Never Got A Note, But You Got Tapes

_Hey, it's Hannah. Hannah Baker._

Tony had grown to hate those words. He always felt sick watching someone, or rather himself, listen to the words of a dead girl.

The Baker's took a deep breath together.

 _That's right. Don't adjust your...whatever device you're hearing this on. It's me, live and in stereo._

Mrs. Baker let her fresh tears fall, she never thought she'd hear her little girl speak again, but here was a tape she recorded.

 _No return engagements, no encore, and this time, absolutely no requests. Get a snack. Settle in._

Mr. Baker felt sick. These were the same tapes that Hannah had took from the school for a "school project" and then they were used for _**this.**_ It was bad enough when he realized that the box of razors she'd used to cut herself were from his store, but knowing he helped her in reaching her goal in two ways was unbearable.

 _Because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically why my life ended. And if you're listening to this tape, you're one of the reasons why._

Tony hated this, having to watch two grieve stricken parents listen to the words of their dead daughter.

 _I'm not saying which table brings you into the story. But fear not if you received this lovely little box, your name will pop up. I promise._

The Bakers hugged each other close. The thought of being one of the reasons why on the tapes killed them.

 _The rules here are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: you listen. Number two: you pass it own._

 _Hopefully neither one will be easy. It's not suppose to be easy or I would have emailed you an MP3. When you're done listening to all thirteen sides, because there are thirteen sides to every story rewind the tapes, put them back in the box, and pass them on to the next person._

Mr. Baker wanted to scream and hit something, were they really that clueless that they didn't even notice one reason?

I mean this whole time they were trying to find just _**one**_ reasons, but in reality there were thirteen.

 _Oh, and the box of tapes should have included a map. I'll be mentioning several spots around our beloved city. I can't force you to visit them, but it if you'd like a little more insight head for the stars._

Tony placed the map on the table.

 _Or you know, just throw the map away and I'll never know, or will I?_

Tony knew what was coming up. The moment on the tapes were everyone glanced around them, out their bedroom window, or at ever person near them. When they were trying to find the person Hannah had trusted the second set of tapes with.

 _You see, in case you're tempted to break the rules, understand I did make a copy of these tapes, and I left them with a trusted individual. Who if this package doesn't make it through all of you, will release those copies in a very public manner._

Tony paused the tapes.

"I was that person." He broke the silence. "And the tapes didn't make them through all the people, so tomorrow I will be releasing them."

He took a breath, he would cry later.

"This is what Hannah asked me to do," he said to the Bakers. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I was doing this one last wish for my friend."

"Who was it?" Mrs. Baker choked out. "Who didn't want to listen to the tapes?"

"It's not that he didn't want to listen," Tony said tears gathering. "He tired, made it all the way to number eleven. But Clay couldn't handle it and he jumped off a ledge."

"Clay?" Mr. Barker choked. "But he was so nice and even said he was friends with Hannah."

"Hannah and Clay they were more than friends." Tony started remembering all the secret texts him and Jeff exchanged trying to get them together. "They both liked each other but neither had the nerve to ask the other out."

"Then why was he one tapes?" It was upsetting to think that a boy who seemed so nice and shy were one the reasons Hannah killed herself.

"When you get to his tape, you'll understand." Tony said. "But I just wanted you to have a chance to listen to them before they were released. Now I have something I need to go do."

Tony drove to the grave of Jeff Atkins. He knew he could have waited but he wanted to do this now.

He walked up to the grave, the gravel smoothing out and crunching, and the new placed tombstone staring back at him.

Only recently did he realize how much he hated graveyards. He hated walking between rows of bodied that laid six feet below.

"Hey buddy." He said sitting down. "Turns out you were right. Clay did make the first move."

He glanced at the picture of his last baseball game.

"So here's that $20." He placed a twenty dollar bill under the flower pot. "It's funny, out of all the days we spent plotting to get them together I was the one trying to get Clay to move on. But know they are your hands again buddy, so make sure they do end up together even if it's in the afterlife."

And Tony said goodbye to his friend, before walking all the way through the graveyard to another friend.

 **"Hannah." Tony sighed. Looking at the piece of paper that Clay had placed the first day he saw Hannah's grave. "He really did love you, and I hope that you see it to now."  
**


	4. The Truth

By morning rumors had spread about Clay's death. It started at with the Jenson's neighbors, then the kids of the cops who responded.

Before first period people stood near his locker. Most where hoping that the rumors of his death was just rumors.

That in a minute his awkward self would walk through the door, go to his locker and get the books he needed.

The others, however, were a group of kids who stood there hoping that he was alive, but not for his satisfaction. It was there own selfish need, the need to make sure the tapes go through each person, quickly and quietly, to be burned at the end.

None of them got what they wanted though. And they realized this when Tony walked through the hall.

Everything was quiet as he pulled out a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. He then unfolded it, took a shaky death, and taped it to Clay's locker.

Next was a white rose from his leather jacket. And he taped that to the locker too.

"Clay was right." He spoke to the surrounding people. "The truth will come out." And his eyes meet those of Justin, Jessica, Alex, Tyler, Courtney, Marcus, Zach, Ryan and Sheri.

They knew what we was speaking of. But when he looked at Bryce and Mr. Porter, each with opposite emotions, he smiled.

Because the truth would be setting him free, and justice would be served. With Clay and Hannah together to gasp each other's ghostly hands as they watched down.

And Tony walked outside, to come back at lunch, with the whole truth.


End file.
